Did you know that ‘Developmental’ refers to a gradual unfolding process? It indicates a series of progressive stages passing through milestones that lead to growth and further development. My mentor, Dr. Garland O’Quinn, Jr. refers to this unfolding as,

“…An orderly process that develops step by step by step… similar to the analogy of writing music. The basic element is the note, notes are put together to form chords, and chords are written in sequence to develop a musical score.”Teaching Developmental Gymnastics, Skills to Take Through Life, University of Texas Press

It’s the same with learning how to play ball. There are definite steps along the way. First the child learns how to hold the ball, then to pat it, roll it, bounce it, toss it, pass it to a parent, and eventually to toss it through a hoop! Each new milestone leads to the next stage of learning and creates an invitation for more experimentation.

I hope you find this video clip interesting. It’s from a developmental movement workshop I gave in NJ, and a clip from a class on ball-play. We’re exploring bringing ‘skill based learning’ in a fun and developmentally appropriate way.